A Hero Among Heroes
by AlRieValmonte
Summary: A three-shot story. It is about Percy willingly staying to close the Doors of Death and to let the others escape and defeat Gaea. It also shows what happened after the Giant war and how they have taken the loss of their Hero. This will be a story, a legend among legends, passed on to the next generations, to the next life. Sucks at summary, but a better story. I promise.
1. Chapter 1

(A/N: The first part of this story was originally taken from the book, but somewhere along the way, you will see that there will be some changes, like addition in sentences until it wholly becomes independent from the book.

The Heroes of Olympus is not mine, but Rick Riordan's. Otherwise, maybe Nico and Percy have gotten together or a bunch of other things I want to happen.)

* * *

In front of Hazel, the air rippled. The Mist thickened, creating a doorway, and four people stepped through.

Hazel wept with relief. Frank's arm was bleeding and bandaged, but he was alive. Next to him stood Nico, Piper, and Jason – with all their swords drawn.

"Sorry we're late," Jason said. "Is this the guy who needs killing?"

Hazel almost felt sorry for Clytius.

They attacked him from every direction – Leo shooting fire at his legs, Frank and Piper jabbing at his chest, Jason flying into the air and kicking him in the face. Hazel was proud to see how well Piper remembered her sword-fighting lessons.

Each time the giant's smoky veil started creeping around them, Nico was there, slashing through it, drinking in the darkness with his Stygian blade.

Percy and Annabeth were on their feet, looking weak and dazed, but their swords were drawn. When did Annabeth get a sword? And what was it made of – ivory? They looked like they wanted to help, but there was no need. The giant was surrounded.

Clytius snarled, turning back and forth as if he couldn't decide which of them to kill first. _Wait! Hold still! No! Ouch!_

The darkness around him dispelled completely, leaving nothing to protect him except his battered armor. Ichor oozed from a dozen wounds. The damage healed almost as fast as it was inflicted, but Hazel could tell the giant was tiring.

One last time Jason flew at him, kicking him in the chest, and the giant's breastplate shattered. Clytius staggered backward. His sword dropped to the floor. He fell to his knees, and the demigods encircled him.

Only then did Hecate stepped forward, her torches raised. Mist curled around the giant, hissing and bubbling as it touched his skin.

"And so it ends," Hecate said.

 _It does not end._ Clytius's voice echoed from somewhere above, muffled and slurred. _My brethren have risen. Gaea waits only for the blood of Olympus. It took all of you to defeat me. What will you do when the Earth Mother opens her eyes? Especially when one has to stay?_

Clytius's laughed echoed from around them. Then Hecate turned her torches upside down. She thrust them like daggers at Clytius's head. The giant's hair went up faster than dry tinder, spreading down his head and across his body until the heat of the bonfire made Hazel wince. Clytius fell and his laughter stopped, face-first in the rubble of Hades' altar. His body crumbled to ashes.

For a moment no one spoke. Everyone was thinking of Clytius' last words. Until Hazel heard a ragged, painful noise and realized it was her own breathing. Her side felt like it had been kicked in with a battering ram.

The goddess Hecate faced her. "You should go now, Hazel Levesque. Lead your friends out of this place."

Hazel gritted her teeth, trying to hold in her anger. "Just like that? No 'thank you'? No 'good work'? Clytius even said that one of us has to stay! And that's all you will say?"

The goddess tilted her head. Gale the weasel chittered – maybe a good-bye, maybe a warning – and disappeared in the folds of her mistress' skirts.

"You look in the wrong place for gratitude," Hecate said. "As for 'good work,' that remains to be seen. Speed your way to Athens. Clytius was not wrong. The giants have risen – all of them, stronger than ever. Gaea is on the very edge of waking. The Feast of Hope will be poorly named unless you arrive to stop her."

Then Hecate turned to Percy. "You know what you need to do, young hero. And now, I give you my gratitude," she said, before dipping her head in an act of thanks.

Then the chamber rumbled. Another stela crashed to the floor and shattered.

"The House of Hades is unstable," Hecate said. "You must hurry. Say your farewells quickly, Son of Poseidon. And the rest, we shall meet again."

Then the goddess dissolved. The Mist evaporated.

"She's friendly," Percy grumbled.

The others turned towards him and Annabeth, as if realizing they were actually there, only to see Annabeth starting at Percy.

"What did she mean, Percy?" Annabeth asked.

It took Percy a few moment to answer, but when he did, no one liked it one bit.

"It's exactly as she meant it, Annabeth," Percy said, then turned to Jason.

"I leave everything to you. You're a leader, Grace, a better leader than I am, no matter what anyone else tell you. You and Frank, both. But you have more experience in leading, so you'll be helping Frank through this. I also trust my Wise Girl to you and Piper. She'll need a great friend through this and someone who can keep up with her."

Then she turned to Frank. "You and Jason will work together. Be the glue that unites all of you. Lead with your sense of responsibility as Mars said. But also think with your mind and heart. Be confident. Speak up. Don't hide. You're a great kid, Frank."

"I know you feel like you've escaped Death because you're here now. But there's a reason you're here, Hazel. You're a hero. No matter what happened before, it doesn't matter. You are who you are today, tomorrow and the next day. And you're powers are not cursed. They're gifts. Don't let them tell you otherwise."

"Piper, I haven't really talked to you as much as I did with the others. But you're a friend, and my friends are my family. But I have to go. So I leave Annabeth to you. I can see how close you two grew. Be with her, and when you meet my mom, be with her too. Because I can't. Not anymore."

"We started off in a rough way, but you're cool Valdez. I was just mad because the biggest chance for the Greeks and Romans o unite backfired. I don't blame you, never did. I guess I just released my anger at you, Fire Boy. But you're really cool. I just wish we had more time."

"You're like my little brother, Death Breath. And when I failed you when I broke my promise of keeping Bianca safe, I really felt like a dick. Then you hated me, at least I felt like you hated me. But I'm sorry Nicks. You're really like my brother. And I have Wise Girl. But as soon as all this ends, go to mom. She'll need you. And I know you'll need her too."

Finally, Percy turned to Annabeth. She haven't moved from her spot ever since Percy started giving short talks, as if he was saying goodbye. But tears were evidently pouring from her face.

"Hey. I know, it hurts. I'm hurting, too. We just got out. We just got our chance to live one more time, especially when we win the war. But I can't. I have to go. I love you, Wise Girl. So much that it hurts to go. I just regretted that I never turned you from Annabeth Chase to Annabeth Jackson."

With his final words, he kissed the daughter of Athena for the final time. When he let go, he slightly pushed her, as if he was ushering her away from him.

"Go."

Annabeth tried to go to him, but Nico dragged her just as Jason and Frank ushered the rest away, leaving the son of Poseidon at the foot of the Doors of Death that materialized once more.

 _To be continued..._


	2. Chapter 2

(A/N: Well, he's the second part of the story. I'm still not 100% sure if one of the Stoll brothers died, but it doesn't matter. One of them died here anyway. I hope you appreciate it guys! Thanks!)

* * *

As Percy's friends, and family, left him by himself at the foot of the Doors, he turned to face the most dreaded entrance and prepared Riptide for battle. He knew he can die. He knew, that if he somehow survived all the monsters that was waiting for him on the other side, he can never leave the pits of Tartarus.

With one last deep breath, Percy entered the Doors of Death, and when it closed from the inside, it once more left in a puff of smoke. This time, the Doors of Death are really, finally closed.

* * *

"But, what happened to the others, Daddy?" a young girl, no more than six, asked her blond haired father, curious to what happened to the Hero's friend. If they survived or if they fell.

"Tomorrow, darling. It's already time for you to sleep," the man answered softly.

A voice of protest left the young girl, as well as her slightly older twin brother. The man had no choice but to chuckle and give in to his children's wishes.

"Okay, okay. Anyways…"

* * *

Half-Blood Hill, the entrance for Camp Half-Blood, was silent. It was understood as they just finished another war. But eight demigods were standing silently at the top of hill, looking at the mass of half-bloods and all the mess and dust created by the war.

"So, the wars won, huh?" Reyna, the female praetor of Camp Jupiter, broke the silence.

"But not without a heavy price," Jason Grace, former praetor of the Camp Jupiter, said with a hollow voice.

They all thought back to the lives they have all lost today. One of which was Connor Stoll, younger brother of Travis Stoll, both sons of Hermes and were the senior councilor. Connor was a great person, although he and his brothers like to prank everyone, no one can deny that losing one of the brothers is a really hard thing for the camp.

But then came the biggest lost for them all. Not only to the Greeks, but also to the Romans.

Their loss of Percy Jackson, Son of the Sea God, Savior of Olympus.

It was a great loss.

They lost a great leader. They lost a great friend. They lost a family. They lost a hero.

Then Annabeth, the Daughter of Athena who lost most when they lost their Hero, broke into a fit of tears, for the first time ever since they have lost Percy Jackson that day.

"Why? Why does it always have to be him? Is what he did not enough? Does saving Olympus not enough for him to live? Why must his life be so cruel? He's still too young. Why him? Tell me, why him?" Annabeth asked over and over again, like a broken mantra.

Her cries affected the other as well. Her questions reaching the ears of the half-bloods near enough to hear the shout of questions. But the quietness of being unanswered made everyone fall into a light fit of tears. Even the most feared child of Ares, Clarisse, shed a tear or two for the fallen hero.

She might never admit it, but Percy Jackson was her friend. She sort of treated him like her brother. He was her leader. She refuses to follow anyone else but him. But most of all, Percy Jackson was also her Hero.

Chiron listened to the cries of one Annabeth Chase. Listened to the silent sob of the half-bloods who can hear, then fought to stop a tear of his own. He has taught many heroes, he has seen them fall from battle. But nothing compares to the pain of losing one Percy Jackson.

He was his greatest student. Greater than even Hercules himself, greater than his namesake, Perseus Son of Zeus. But being the greatest Hero, also meant having the greatest downfall. He died for the world, but he died the way not even the gods wish to go through.

Finally, the old centaur let tears fall freely from his eyes.

Not even the gods were spared from the anguish of the young woman. Aphrodite already has tears falling from her eyes. Poseidon was trying not to let anguish take over him as well. Even the man hating goddess, Artemis, has tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

"He did not deserve such fate. Even I will say that The Fates were cruel this time around," Athena, surprising everyone, said. "He may be a child of the Sea, but he was a fine warrior."

Tears were falling from Hermes' eyes as he has treated the young hero as his son at some point of his immortal life. So did Apollo. Percy Jackson was a man, but he trusted him to save his sister when she needed it, and he did not fail him.

Everyone cried for the loss of a Hero they never cherished. They sobbed for the death of the young man whom have made his way straight to their hearts, but it was too late.

Zeus, as well as Hades, stood up and went near Poseidon.

"He is a great man, Poseidon. He understood me and I knew that he welcomed me in his life despite my threats of killing him. He is a very special child. You are lucky he is yours, Brother," Hades said with such sincerity that shocked most inside the room.

Then came Zeus next. "He was a great hero. Greater than even my son. I am sorry for your loss, Poseidon."

And with that, Poseidon finally let grief take over his body and cried for the loss of his son. His precious treasure.

Meanwhile, after Percy has entered the Door, he was greeted by the sight of an army of monster with Tartarus himself leading in front of the Titan and Giant that he had learned to befriend.

"So you finally decided to join our final dance, Percy Jackson?" Tartarus asked when he caught sight of the hero.

"Well, I can't say I know how to dance, but I can keep up with the rhythm of battle," he answered, confidence leaking in his voice even with the obvious disadvantage.

"Really? Well, you and what army?"

"I don't need an army. Because I swear that this will be the finale."

And with those words uttered, both side clashed into battle once more.

* * *

"So you mean, Percy is still fighting somewhere in Tartarus?" the young boy asked his father.

"Hush now, I'm just getting there. And so…"

* * *

It was eerily quiet. It was the 18th of August. The 1st anniversary of the end of the Second Titan War. But it was also the birth of their lost hero. Every demigods, both Greek and Roman, were all gathered at Mount Olympus, together with the gods, both Olympian and minor.

They decided to recount all of his quests, all of his journeys, all of his adventures, and all of the memory they had from when he was twelve, until his death. Even Clarisse and Ares willingly talked about the Hero everyone believed that they despite.

Jason Grace just finished talking of the Hero, of how he saw his friend and comrade, and Nico di Angelo was next. It was silent for a few moments, but Nico then started.

"I first met Percy at winter when I was ten, and Bianca was twelve. He just turned *fourteen that time. That was when Bianca and I were introduced to the world of the gods. It was also when my sister joined the Hunters of Artemis.

I remember, I was this loud kid. I remember when I was so excited I must've annoyed the Styx out of Percy. But he was patient. He was kind, he was thoughtful. I was just so hurt when Percy returned from his quest that time without Bianca. It was because he promised me he would keep her safe. But I know he tried everything he could to keep his promise. I know he really did. But it hurts to lose your family.

I ran away from camp. I looked for a way to bring my sister back. I may not be able to bring her back, but Percy found me and gave me something more. He gave me a mother in Sally, a friend in Grover, a brother in him. But the war was looming around us all. I'll admit, I sort of betrayed him before his bath in the River Styx. But he still forgave me for that.

And that was when I actually realized, who Perseus Jackson really was to me. He wasn't simply a friend or a brother. He was my leader; he was my protector; he was my confidant; he was my guide; he was my comrade; he was my savior; he was my Hero. But most of all, Perseus Jackson was the love of my life."

* * *

*Percy was really fourteen during the Titan's Curse. If you all remember, Percy was twelve when he first went to Camp, and his birthday was after summer of Camp. So at The Sea of Monsters, Percy was only thirteen, then fourteen at The Titan's Curse because it was during winter, so Percy's birthday passed. And if you forgot, during The Battle of the Labyrinth, he was also fourteen, but at the last chapter, it showed Percy's fifteenth birthday when he received the sand dollar from Poseidon. Then that also meant Percy was only fifteen in The Last Olympian until the end of war which was also his birthday."


	3. Chapter 3

(A/N: Well, the last chapter. It really is just a three-shot. But if you want me to continue, it will depend on the non existent reviews. So enjoy!)

* * *

"Wait, wait, and wait! You mean, _Nico_ , as in the Son of Hades, _Nico_? The one who could summon ghost and a skeletal army, _Nico_? _That **Nico di Angelo**_?" clarified the younger of the twin.

"Well, there weren't any other Nico, were there? So _that_ Nico, yes." teased their father.

"Are you sure? I mean, you aren't kidding right?" asked then the elder.

"Let me continue my story then you'll know. Anyways…"

* * *

"Wait! You were in love with Percy?" asked the outraged Lord of the Wild, Grover.

"But I thought you _liked Annabeth_ , that's why you _hated_ _Percy_! Because you were jealous!" exclaimed a startled Travis Stoll.

"I never hated Percy. I was only indifferent. Because I was jealous. Jealous _of_ Annabeth." Answered the Son of Hades.

"Did you ever told Percy?" Annabeth quietly asked.

"…No. But he knew, anyway. He told me at the Doors of Death that he knew."

* * *

"Oh! So that's why he said that Nico was really like his brother. And that he had Annabeth. Because he knew!" exclaimed the twins simultaneously.

Their father chuckled in amusement then carried on with his story.

* * *

It's been a week since their Hero's birthday. A week since the revelation of the Son of Death's love for their Hero. But not even the shock of that revelation can cover their shock of what is happening today.

"It's been a month since Gaea, and no monsters were ever reported of being seen. Not even the searcher, the satyrs and fauns, have been able to sniff a scent of a single monster. Do you think another war is coming?" stated a son of Athena, Malcolm.

"That is highly unlikely. If another war is coming, our Oracle should have already given us a prophecy. But since not even a single prophecy was uttered, there is no chance for another war," said Chiron.

But as soon as he said it, the door to the big house opened and two random campers busted in.

"Chiron! It's Rachelle! Green mist is surrounding her but we don't think she's prophesying anything. She was just standing at Percy's statue and green mist flowing."

They immediately hurried to where the statue, the only statue, of their Hero. Even from a far, Green mist was clearly seen surrounding the marble and their Oracle. But it did nothing, until all gods and goddess have also come.

" _The son of the sea_

 _Whose bravery I foresee_

 _Even in the hands of Death_

 _An oath he has kept_

 _His soul brought his spirit_

 _So history shall not repeat_

 _He fights 'till this day_

 _Enemies, forever he will slay."_

And with that, the Green mist dispersed, leaving a stunned crowd.

Finally, Athena said, "I think I finally know what really happened to our Hero."

* * *

"You mean, Percy is forever stuck in Tartarus?" asked the younger of the two.

"That was his oath. That he will always fight for his family. We don't actually know if he will come back from Tartarus. The prophecy never clarified that. It only said that he will forever be the bane of every enemies that we may have."

"You mean, monster will never attack us?"

"They might never again."

"They may never attack us, but it doesn't mean you'll never sleep." A woman's voice interrupted. It was the twin's mother.

"Alright. Good night Mom. Good night Dad," said the eldest as he was lying at his bed.

"I love you guys," added the youngest.

The couple only smiled and turned off the lights as they went out. Once they reached the living room, they both sat.

"It still hurts remembering him, huh?"

"Of course! He's my best friend. And I still believe he's alive."

"Because of your link, right?"

Grover smiled at Juniper then said, "Yes. Because of our link."

* * *

Deep inside the Underworld, the path where it leads to Tartarus, a hand suddenly shot up and grabbed the edge. He pulled himself up, and out of the pit. He lay by the edge as he tried to gather his breath and calmed his beating heart.

A small smile suddenly adorned the black haired male.

"Finally out."

15 years later, the Hero among Heroes has finally returned.

 **The End (?)**


	4. Announcement

A/N: Hey guys! I know this is not an update, because I already finished this story. But I would like to use this opportunity to make an announcement.

My best friend and I actually love Percy Jackson, but between the two of us, I like imagining more scenarios that could've happen in a story (aside from PJO, of course). And that was what lead me to create this slightly heart breaking story. So, I made him read this fanfiction to ask of his opinion, and do you know what he did?

He just pinched me in the arm and kept slapping my arms and legs. He kept saying "How could you end it that way?! Fix it! Fix it I tell you!"

So, I did. I created a sort of sequel for this story.

It's entitled as "A Hero's Return."

But then again, I couldn't have done it without a few encouragements from the reviews that some has posted. Although, looking back know, I know I made quite a lot of mistakes, but you all still bared with it. So thank you.

As a Thank You gift, I am giving you the sequel for this story.

It is already posted so you can go check out my profile and look for it.

Oh! And don't forget to wait for another PJO fanfiction. I will post it after I have finished the sequel. It's kind of another 'What if' fanfiction of PJO. I'll tell you more at the end of "A Hero's Return."

Thanks guys!


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